History and Political Science (HIST, PHIL, POLS, REL)

April Brooks, Head
Department of History and Political Science
West Hall
605-688-4311
e-mail: april.brooks@sdstate.edu

The Department of History and Political Science complements the vision of South Dakota State University and the College of Arts and Sciences to be nationally distinctive and locally relevant through faculty teaching, service and scholarship. Departmental faculty efforts support a challenging curriculum which encourages civic participation to perpetuate the values and historic traditions of democracy. Its members encourage and prepare students, through a liberal education, to live in an increasingly interconnected world and to understand and appreciate the human diversity created by cultures, geography and time. The political science faculty engenders an awareness and understanding of global events, while the history faculty identifies the historic background and historical trends that influence these events. The philosophy and religion faculty deal with the fundamental questions of life, the basis of knowledge and morality and practices of the world’s many religious traditions. This curriculum is presented in a manner that develops and enhances critical thinking and communication skills to prepare students for meaningful employment, further scholarship and community engagement. These efforts facilitate the achievement of national distinction by the department’s majors as scholars and engaged citizens.

History (HIST)

Faculty

Professor Brooks, Head; Professors Schmidt; Professors Emeriti Bell, Crain, Funchion, Miller, Sweeney; Tolle; Assistant Professor Agostini, Potts, Vollan, York

Program

Majors may choose either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree. The requirements in either program are 36 credits of HIST prefixed courses, which must include 121, 122 or 111, 112 plus 151, 152, and 480. The Department also offers a History Minor. See the Major and Minor Requirements section of this catalog.

The courses offered by the Department of History will prepare majors for careers in various professional occupations, and provide a necessary background for graduate work or other specialized training. In addition to departmental requirements, a student must complete the University and College of Arts and Sciences core curriculum appropriate to the degree desired. See separate sections of this catalog for these requirements.

Teaching Specialization
Majors who wish to teach in the secondary schools are required to enroll in the teacher education program; for details, contact the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Philosophy and Religion (PHIL & REL)

Faculty

Associate Professor Peterson, Assistant Professor Murphy, Professors Emeriti Bahr, Nelson; Instructors Haag, Otterson, Rynearson, Tinguely, Tritle, Tsakiridis

Programs

Philosophy deals with the fundamental questions of life, including the nature of knowledge, the basis of morality and politics, and the rational analysis of religious beliefs. A philosophical perspective emphasizes clear thinking about what’s truly important to live well.

The academic study of religion includes learning and understanding the history, beliefs, and practices of the world’s many religious traditions. Religion scholars seek to understand how believers understand their own traditions as well as examining historical, psychological, and social factors that shape religious traditions.

Minors are available in both Philosophy and Religion, and may be earned either with a B.A. or a B.S. degree. Students may also pursue an Interdisciplinary Studies major with emphasis on philosophy and religion.

Study in philosophy and religion emphasizes critical thinking, the development of sharp reading skills, and mastery of written and verbal communication abilities that are applicable to a wide variety of professions. Courses in religion will be of particular interest for preministerial students planning to go on to seminary, while courses in philosophy, especially logic, are useful for pre-law students. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty for recommendations for their own personal course of study.

Political Science (POLS)

Faculty

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Burns; Professors Emeriti Cheever, Tolle; Professors Aguiar, Lonowski, Assistant Professors Lane, Wiltse

Programs

Political science courses are designed to achieve the following objectives: convey the values and traditions of our democratic governmental institutions and processes and encourage students to assert their talents in preserving and nurturing those values and traditions through participation in the body politic; promote global awareness and understanding; engender critical thinking and a high proficiency in communication skills; serve the other social sciences as a cognate field; provide the student majoring in political science with foundation and advanced courses in the many sub-disciplines of political science which, in turn, will contribute to the student’s intellectual growth and occupational pursuits.

Political science majors may work toward either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. All are required to take 36 hours in political science including POLS 100, POLS 280 and at least 21 upper division credits (300 level and above). POLS 210 is required for all majors who take the education block (see below). All must complete 6 hours in Political Science comparative government and/or international courses, either upper division or lower division. Further, all majors must complete POLS 461 or POLS 462 to satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement. Majors may not apply Political Science credits toward the social science requirements of the Arts and Sciences College. Up to 6 credits of POLS 491-591 Independent Study may be applied to the POLS Major or Minor. POLS 494 Internship is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and will not be counted toward the Major or Minor. Finally, the B.S. degree in political science requires 6 additional humanities credits for a total of 12 credits. Majors are encouraged to select at least one upper division course in each of the following fields within the major: American Government and Politics, Public Administration, Public Law, Comparative Government, International Relations, and Political Philosophy. Students must meet the University and College of Arts and Sciences requirements. Finite Math (MATH 104) may be used to satisfy B.A. and B.S. requirements in Political Science. Refer to the Majors and Minors Requirements section for SGE, IGR, Globalization, and Advanced Writing requirements.

Teaching Specialization
If you are preparing to teach secondary school, take education block prerequisite courses in the sophomore and junior years. You must consult with the department head of the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Department prior to your junior year. Set aside one semester for the education block and offcampus teaching assignment during your senior year.

Pre-law Emphasis
Law schools require a bachelor’s degree for entrance. Although a particular major is not specified, Political Science is a common choice because of its flexibility.

Public Administration Emphasis
Students interested in working in government, non-profit organizations, or advocacy groups at the local, state, or national level should plan to take several courses related to public administration and American politics. Students are encouraged to take the practicum or an internship with a government agency or non-profit organization. Students with this focus might pursue the Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations minor.

Criminal Justice Emphasis
Consult advisers for minor requirements.

General Political Science Emphasis
You may choose to take a very flexible program in Political Science. Such a program might be designed to lead to graduate work in Political Science, or employment in both the public and private sectors. Students with this focus might pursue the Applied Information Technology minor.

Research/Graduate School Emphasis
Students wishing to pursue graduate studies in political science or careers in political opinion research should consider the research oriented alternative courses which may be applied toward the major.

(Pre-) Law

The formal academic training for law includes, with few exceptions, a bachelor’s degree and three years of study in law school to earn a Juris Doctorate. Entering students who desire to prepare for law school and have yet to decide their major will be enrolled in University College. Those enrolled under this classification are assisted by a pre-law adviser in planning course schedules and creating a plan of study. Individuals who have chosen a field of study work with their major advisor as well as the pre-law advisor to select courses and create a plan of study.

The pre-law student should be involved in an undergraduate program that is intellectually challenging and requires rigorous academic discipline. No specific subjects are prescribed for law school admission, and thus any undergraduate major available at SDSU can prepare a student to study the law. Law schools welcome and encourage a variety of educational backgrounds among their students. Breadth and intellectual maturity are more important than study of particular subject matter. However, law schools do recommend that the pre-law curriculum be carefully selected.

An attorney must be a well-rounded individual. Reading and writing abilities are fundamental, and thus undergraduate courses that develop these skills should be stressed. A reasonable exposure to such subject areas as English composition, economics, history, literature, philosophy, political science, and sociology are typically considered foundational for the full appreciation of the law. Electives such as drama and theatre arts, debate, creative writing, and speech will sharpen those skills needed by a member of the legal profession. Additionally, courses in business, finance, and accounting are generally considered an asset to attorneys’ professional practice, and many law schools expect the student to have completed at least one accounting course. Furthermore, knowledge of the physical and biological sciences will often help in the cases the lawyer pleads. In particular, certain areas of the law are only open to those with an educational training in the sciences and engineering fields.

All law schools require the Law School Admissions Test, and most pre-law students take it in June between the junior and senior year or during the undergraduate senior year. It is a nationwide, half-day test of general aptitude for undertaking law studies and for writing ability. The pre-law adviser has application forms and sample tests. The advisor also has general information on law schools.